Spraying device for centrifugals



Feb. 2, 1932. E. ROBERTs 1,843,697

SPRAYING DEVICE FOR CENTR'IFUGALS Filed July 25, 1929 Inventor PatentedFeb. 2, 1932 Uairso STATES PATENT; or fice EUGENE ROBERTS, OF HASTINGS,NEVT YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 THE'WESTERN STATES MA- CHINE COMPANY, OF SALTLAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH S IERAYING' DEVICE FOR-CENTRIFUGALS Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to the washing of sugar or similar solids incentrifugal machines after the material has been purged bycentrifugalseparation of the syrup or grains or crystals which must beremoved by a the application of a liquid spray, usually of, Water, whichacts to dissolve and carry off such adherent coating. The underlyingproblem in the washing of the sugar is to remove the adhesive coatingwhile avoidingasmuch as possible the dissolving of the sugar grainsthemselves. a I

. The prevailing practice in centrifugal purification has beenjto use anoscillating spraynozzl'e in order to distribute the spray evenly overthe mass of sugar walled up on the inside of the basket and avoidcontinuously directing each fine stream of liquid at the same point orline on the sugar wall, which was a difficulty in the old-time fixednozzle.

While the oscillation of the nozzle avoided concentration of the variousfine streams of liquid against the same points on the sugar wall,neverthelesseven the oscillating spray nozzle. dissolves altogether toomuch of the sugar crystals besides complicating thematter of exactlycontrolling and placing the delivery and distribution of spray over thesugar wall.

The present improvement overcomes these difliculties by providing afixed spraying de vice comprising plural nozzles, each of which 1delivers a sprayso finely divided that there .isno stream to eat intothe sugar ,wallas in 1 controlled.

the case of the old fixed sprayers, while the a be made for anyactuating mechanism on the curb and all that is necessary is a simpleholding bracket or support and a line of pipe 1929. 'Serial No. 381,172.

or hose led from the controlled supply of liquid, which may be locatedoverhead and well out of the way of the operator attending the machine.a

These and other features of the. invention will be described in thefollowing specification and will be defined in the claims heretoannexed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a simple and convenientconstruction embodying the principles of this invention, in which a fFig. 1 shows in front elevation the sprayer device operatively mountedin a centrifugal basket, which latter with its casing is shownin centralvertical section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sprayer.

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the sprayer device in elevation at rightangles to the plane of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on plane ir-4 of Fig. 2.

. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on plane 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section of a spray nozzle. I

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the spray deflector. i

In the practice of the invention as illustrated in the drawings thecentrifugal basket- 1, having perforated side. wall with re enforcedrings and with a bottom plate 3 and a top ring 4, is of usualconstruction found in the case of flat bottom sugar centrifugals. Thebasket is securely fastened to the enlarged lower end of the rotarybasket shaft 5 by means of the radial spider 6 set in the centraldischarge opening of the basket bottom. Surrounding the basket is theusual curb or casing 8 having the'overhang'ing topring 9 and theliquid-collecting and soliddischarging ring 10 accordingto v the usualpractice. v

The sprayer in this case comprises a vertical pipe 11 connected withsupply pipe or hose 12 with a suitable liquid controlling apparatus ofany suitable type not herein shown,

but which of course involves a cut-off valve .the sugar wall.

pipe 11 are individual spray nozzles 18, which 1 are speciallyconstructed to deliver a very finely ClLYIClGCl spray or mist. Eachspray nozzle compr1ses a small hollow head tori-lied with an interiorwhirlingchamber 13 of rel,-

atively large diameter compared with the inlet and with the outletopenings thereof.

From this cylindrical chamber 13 there leads a tapered orfrusto-conic'a-l passage 13 to the small outlet or delivery orifice 18.Each spray'n'ozzle 13 is provided with an inlet nipple 1 1 which istapped into the side wall of the spraynozzle' pipe 11 so as to allowtheliquid to flowthroughthe narrow or constricted opening through thenipple into the circular or cylindrical chamber 13 in a line offsetfrom, or approximately tangential to, the central axis of said chamber.This produces a whirling action (it the liquid and in connection withthe tapered deliverypassage'and the constricte'dnozzle outlet throws avery finely divided spray from the nozzle against the "opposite wall ofsugar. ill-plurality of these nozzles are employed and are preferablymounted on opposite sides of the pipe 11 in st'aggered'relation. Eachindividual nozzle is rotatably' adjustable about its horizontalsupporting axis or nipple 1 1 so that it may be directed toward "a verydefinite area of The uppermost nozzle delivers its fine spray aboutasubstantially horizontal line, while the nozzles below it are turned atvarying angles so as to coverthe entire vertical surface of the sugarwall from top to bottom." Thebottom of the nozzle pipe 11 is closed by asealing plug 11 removable'to permit cleansing of the pipe when desired.

For properly supporting'the sprayer 1 provide'a horizontal br'acket12Othat is bolted to the'top ring '9 of the curb 8, so as to projectinwardly a short distance'toward the middle portion of the basket. Thisplate carries a clamping member 21 provided with 'a horizontalcylindrical bore adapted to receive an outward extension or. shank rodof .the pipe engaging clamp member 2 1. This hori- .zontal shank orextension 25 isclamped. in I place by a transverse bolt 22 passingthrough a right angle bore in the clamping member 21 and having a notchat 22 for receiving and engaging'the cylindrical shank 25 of the nozzlepipeclamp. At one end the clamping bolt 22 carries a cotter pin 23 whileits "other end has threaded engagement with a clamping nut 22.

Obviously tightening the clamping nut 22 serves to draw .the notchedportion of the bolt 22into firm gripping engagement with the shankmember 25 so that it is held securely in whatever position oflongitudinal or angular adjustment may be desired. The pipe 11 isadjustably secured in a vertical bored passage of a similar clampingmember 24 which carries a horizontal notched pipe-engaging bolt 26 withits adutsing nut 27 to engage and firmly grip the vertical pipe 11 inwhatever vertical or angular position of adjustment theforeman may deemsuited to the particular work at hand.

It will therefore be seen that each individual nozzle member 13 isangularly adjustable in a vertical plane; and that the whole series maybe set lower or higher in the basket by vertical adjustment of thenozzle pipe 11 which may be also angularlyadjusted in a horizontal planeto direct the spraysto cover the desired areas of thesugar Wall nearerto or farther' from, the nozzle, according to the angular adjustment ofthe nozzle pipe. Furthermore, the nozzle pipe itself may bemoved bodilyinward or outward to vary the distance through which the spray passesbefore impinging on the" sugar wall.

lVith the form of nozzle used the spray is so finely divided as not tobore any holes in the sugar wall, while atthe same time the preciseareas and angles at which thespray is to impinge on the sugar wall canbe accurately and precisely determined to get the maximum washing effectwith the minimum dissolving of the sugar; ln'aotual practice it is foundthat efficient washing of the sirgar can be effected with 'a reductionof one-third of the quantity of water thrown =upon the sugar, while atthe sametime most-efficiently cleansing the sugar grai-ns'fromtheiradhesive coating. I

The whirling action which produces th finely divided spray is due to'thefact that each nozzle member has a narrow or small diameter inlet -onits side, preferably slightl v off the line of the diameter, causingthe" admitted liquid toswirl aroun'd inside'mhe chamber on its way tothe small discharge outlet which is disposedaxi'ally of-the nozzlechamber so that the liquid emerges from "the small discharge outlet in avery finely" divided whirling spray and thus avoids any boring actioninto the-wall Otsugar such as takes place when fine streams of liquidare directed continuously toward the same spots or 'lines on the sugarwall.

' The angular adjustment of each individual spraying nozzle in relationto the axisot' the nozzle-carrying pipe changes the elevation of thearea of impingement of-the spray onthe sugar wall. The entire series ofnozzles may 7 be collectively adjusted by rotative and by a swinging orangular movement of the pipe and maybe'collectively adjusted up and downby vertical adjustment of the pipe in its holding clamp. It willtherefore be seen that complete flexibility of the device makes possiblethe finest gradations in the distribution and direction of theindividual and collective sprays impinging upon the sugar wall.

As more water is required to properly wash the extreme upper and theextreme lower portions of the sugar wall, the top and the bottom nozzlesare provided with larger inlets than any intermediate nozzle.Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 7, a deflector plate is securedto the top ring 9 of the curb or casing so as to overhang the topmostportion of the diverging spray in order to direct the uppermost portionof the spray to the uppermost portion of the sugar wall immediatelybeneath the cap ring 4: of the basket and also preventing delivcry ofthe spray over the top ofthe basket where it could perform no usefulservice.

What I claim is:

1. A spraying device for washing the contents of a centrifugal basket,embracing a nozzle-carrying pipe supported to project downward into thebasket and having adjustment about two angularly disposed axes, and aplurality of laterally projecting de livery nozzles secured to saidpipe.

2. A spraying device for washing the contents of a centrifugal basketembracing in its construction, a nozzle-carrying pipe supported toproject downward into the basket and having rotative adjustment abouttwo angularly disposed axes and also having axial adjustment to raiseand lower it in the basket, and a plurality of laterally projectingdelivery nozzles secured to said pipe to direct spray toward theperipheral basket wall.

3. A spraying device for washing the contents of a centrifugal basketembracing in its construction, a nozzle-carrying pipe supported toproject downward into a basket and adjustable about two angularlydisposed axes and having also axial adjustment up and down in itssupport and bodily adjustment toward and away from the center of thebasket, and a series of laterally projecting delivery nozzles secured tosaid. pipe.

4:. A spraying device for washing the contents of a sugar centrifugalbasket embracing, a nozzle carrying pipe supported to extend downwardinto the basket of a centrifugal, said pipe being adjustable about itsvertical axis, a plurality of lateral spraying nozzles secured instaggered arrangement on opposite sides of the pipe and delivering theirspray in two approximately parallel vertical planes, said nozzles beingarranged to discharge their spray against adjacent areas of the insidewall of the basket.

5. A spraying device for washing sugar in centrifugals embracing aplurality of noz zles arranged at different levels in the basket andhaving intake connections with a liquid spray pipe, the top and thebottom nozzles having larger intakes than those that are intermediate.

6. A spraying device for a sugar centrifugal embracing an adjustablespray-delivering nozzle and an overhanging deflector located in the topof the centrifugal basket in position to direct the uppermost portion ofthe spray against the top portion of the sugar wall immediately beneaththe top ring of the basket.

'7. In a spraying device for washing the contents of a centrifugalbasket, the combination with a supporting bracket mounted to overhangthe top of the basket, an inwardly and angularly adjustablepipe-supporting member secured to said bracket, a downwardly projectingnozzle pipe adjustably supported in said pipe-supporting member topermit adjustment of said pipe about its own axis and also in thedirection of its axis, and a series of laterally projecting spraydelivering nozzles secured to said pipe the nozzles being individuallyadjustable to different angular relationship to deliver spray overcontinuous areas of the opposed wall of the basket.

8. In a spraying device for washing the contents of a centrifugalbasket, the combination with a nozzle-carrying pipe supported above andprojecting into the interior of the basket, a plurality of projectingdelivery nozI- zles secured to said pipe, said nozzles beingcollectively adjustable by the adjustment of said pipe to direct theirspray against differentvertical areas of the opposed wall of the basketand being individually adjust able in vertical planes, and a shieldsupported above the basket and projecting into the top openings of thebasket opposite the delivery nozzles to deflect the topmost portion ofthe spray into the interior of the basket.

In witness whereof I have subscribed the above specification.

EUGENE ROBERTS.

